Participatory Budgeting
Participatory Budgeting is a community-driven process that empowers residents to decide how a portion of the City’s budget is allocated. Due to budget constraints, the Participatory Budgeting process will be delayed to a future date, meaning that no new Council District processes will start in 2024/2025.
District 4 Participatory Budgeting Project
Community-Led Youth and Cultural Programming Initiatives Receive $800,000 from the City
The City of Tacoma, in partnership with the Foundation for Tacoma Students (FFTS), have provided $800,000 for youth programming and cultural events in Council District 4. The awards were determined through the City’s Participatory Budgeting process, where over 12,000 residents voted to prioritize these two critical community needs.
The initiative distributes funding across two categories:
| Cultural Programming Recipients – $400,000 total These grants will sustain three years of events that celebrate, educate, and showcase the diverse cultures that call District 4 home.
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Youth Programming Recipients – $400,000 total These grants will support one year of out-of-school programs serving children and teens ages 4-18 in District 4.
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“I join all of District 4 in celebrating the culmination of our Participatory Budgeting process! This process gives voice to what our community wants. Voters in District 4 want home-grown and local organizations to showcase their work and add to the vibrancy of the eastside. I am so happy to see this investment in an area of Tacoma that has been generationally under-resourced and hope to see the community continue to engage with government and help shape the future.” – Council Member Sandesh Sadalge
The selection process was led by the Eastside Tacoma Community Leaders and Seeds of Peace, who evaluated all applications and made the final recommendations to FFTS and City of Tacoma. This community-driven approach ensured that funding decisions were made by those most familiar with Council District 4’s unique neighborhoods, needs and strengths. The City of Tacoma has contracted with FFTS to administer the funds.
Recipients will begin implementing their programs starting June 2025 with cultural events taking place throughout the next three years and youth programming running through May 2026.
District 2 Participatory Budgeting Project
$1 Million Project Announcement for a Covered Skate Park in Downtown
Over 2,000 ideas were submitted by you and your neighbors in Tacoma’s Council District 2 (Downtown, Dome District, Stadium District, Northeast Tacoma, and North Tacoma). The three most popular ideas were turned into proposals for this ballot. Voting closed on September 20, 2024, and the winner was announced on October 12 at the Festival Herencia Latina at the Tacoma Armory.
Over 5,000 Participatory Budgeting votes were tallied from community members in District 2. The community-proposed project that has been selected will design and build a covered skate park featuring public art in Downtown Tacoma, in a location under I-705. The proposed project is an exciting community initiative aimed at creating a vibrant space for both skateboarding and public art.
Other community-proposed projects in District 2 had included:
- Upgrade accommodations at the City of Tacoma’s emergency shelter stability site on Puyallup Avenue with two shower/bathroom units, added access to electricity, ADA accessibility, and more.
- Fund youth programming for the new dedicated teen area, the community hub, and the Makerspace at Tacoma Public Library’s Main location.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process where:
- Community leaders develop a scoped process with the City to help their fellow community members develop ideas.
- Community leaders turn ideas into proposals.
- Community members vote to select one or more of those proposals.
- The City will fund and implement the proposal(s) voted on.
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The City Council initially approved $5 million in funds for Participatory Budgeting in Tacoma. Each district was to receive $1 million for its Participatory Budgeting project.
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The first effort was launched in District 4 in September 2022. In the summer of 2023, 12,389 community members voted to fund youth and cultural programming.